SUPREME COURT.

New Zealander, Volume 2, Issue 78, 28 November 1846, Page 1

SUPREME COURT.

. Auckland— Tuesday, November 17th; 1846. '"- The Court sat this morning, when His Honor the Chief Jfistice gave judgment on the, following motions:- - ~ , Oa behalf of Wiluam tlA^slj_Esq.>?;-'.: : '' f r- The further declarations' filed in this fnattVr)?appjear td"me sufficient.^ 'I liey,sho\v that on various occasions MrrHalse- was 'consulted, and gave^advice qri^matters 'ofsbosiness- properly- belonging to *tliejprofession*-of,a" Sojicitor|/as/distiuct;as~Jro"m";tjiatr^6iife^ thrit^he Tlid not; action "tliese occasiquVgratuitously^and. merely;''as a'friehd of T th"e partie^cdns*(jltiug vhim'|vb(it that lie recei^ed'his-chargesfSs,^^ of a Solicitors! business." Havin^;i ? e|¥ro^§:"cjrcu"]n^ staifcesof the/settlemynt ofNew^PlyEoWtb^aftl^jtinj^ "an'd to.the amount o/jl egKl^bjusinels^li^eiyAto^arise/ihj it^ 1 consider it to.b\su&Hen*tJjfslipw^ s .liy|these^ecl^ rations that Mr. Halle liad^ iff"t|ie3tf nSsofJUe^ffgrerap .Court ' Ordinance- established^hijn^ejf^ii^&rexercise, of lii s 'profession , -on", oc '"beforeHhCaand, day; (Sfjp,ecem^ ber, i 841 C The^order tlierefpre^ w_ill^be^a# praxeclrCr**^

/The f Attorney GeneraV p. ;-This is.'a\suit upbnJa wHt of s«re a Gt'ivnt made*by "His Excellency : Kobert;-Fitzßoy;"-Esq.i Idiii' Governor - of- this -Colony, - tb^Jfctfe" 'defendant's fidfe qfii'tiairi: lands' situated "in Ithe,parisV^ofJK^a|^;Tl(e grounds -upon whicbT it v is /sbughtfto vtliiS) 6rant, are]^"^ . ;%/-^^^>" *^f f ':<;l.iThat;-the lamL comprised in the^Granttwas never' pfferecLfoiisale^by public -auction priojCtqltfe^date b£ 'the grant] as required by the^'Austiraliah^LandTSates -^iXC; Vict.'c?36. V-- ; ■~#~^'s*te&%> : ? y?£ . : 2,'- That the, consideration Vwas hot. paid J iir money ate required by 'the same statute : % and ' _\~ , : ' C.?\. X I -S. -That;the*-. said ' land was, not of in ; the i manner^ and~ according to the regulationsprcscribed byjbhe s_anie ; statute. , '" "V -^.'--c , z^cV\~~ ' <^ * -A.ro £tße declaration, the., defendants Jiave^dem'urr.ed^ an j^^the-matefiarpbiat^vhichi^thi/rCourt'is|calledfftpQn f jto^ecfdef fs tbis,4^ Wjh'ethef^G^ant^of;a*.ppJtion Sf tlw, lauds, of t]ielGr6VS]:hyiwa"y iof^excKatige^oMitlfefc i>alid,;.ndftvfthstaniJing>"tlfeVa?6l%aid/stat^ 'gi'dunds^ of demorfei^wrere -asstgiied ;^but|j^re^ai^^ af gumenT j^andTtbje defendants fa'skal? fo^Uie' .jt/difnieSl 1 of ftlie^ Court on. that point onlyjwliiclf-liaV jfeen-jusf now stated.;,-'. >*■;>^ "- . -. '! %'^%#^S^f; j-^iifisr-to"* be'^6bserve"dl,a.t J< the" outset,- (andjtis a yexylnaterial.observation) thattthe Graa|i[o%ii^qa^stip^Ur | 'alj&ed to have been made bytheGdveVnorin tK^niauie^ ,'oXtfieJJrowa ; not by the Crovm imaicdiately,^io'r yet by the -'Governor acting under any authbrityspedaiiy' jfalating to this transaction, but by the Governor'acting ,ia the name of the Crown, that is, in tluvexercise of the 'general, authority which, as Goyernor^hehas -received from the Crown ; jirid it is impeached," as being" an act in, which- the "lawful limits of that general- authority, Vere exßeSdedr^l^ *<*>' - r %'r^r^^t^ ■. A'udjndeerd, reason^for^cpn^ 3tdenng-this",,pfaht asbeingj inVj.hejs^tf ict andkp^pp'Br: slsn^e,_anlactpfthe"Cr6wriit£el^ in tiie.earli^r Jiistdryottfae." SriSslf GoloaieCdrfPlantd^ -tiorif (particularly' ia^ Nor v th--AlnerJga : |arrdytli e,T WTest fndies) where lands *sitaated~in^tl/o^e;-CJil.onies^;Wel% granted directly "and iininediately^by>th^Cj^|vn^lf" this brant were of suca a naCure); tlie^quirationTto jvhic^ the: afgunieat Jo'f ;tlie .defendants >ha>\-b7e|n '^jnryTdr dressea; would beaniateriai^d^^'l^llHipeXiad^vi tUe main point; I oaeiin the" qij sesJiojfj~'s,Whe^hiiCsj|ch' 5 esJiojfj~'5,Whe^hiiCsj|ch' % .G'rantlbtirnow. .sustainable of 4 I^!w^|»T^ vilid . exercise* ? o£ :^a- prerogatlv%stiU^abi(lingJ infthe*CfoVn^Untoifcfie'd byJthelL]and''Saj^^<^^J^aj|^iii4, GrTint^iio^undercouMde^ "aiiy thing upon" theae^plea^lig^'tolkai^'bWa^nyrsnSjr direct^ac.f;oi\ r Hter;;^ of au ollicer, pb3se3smgaia|eeljiig]i;po\mVas*th^Mire"ctg representative of.He^Majes^^ jret\who3e^ pnovfeTß^feT "(as\w)U be_seen)\leaned',ir*dd^stnctly=rjßgula^^ particular-respect by;aa>Act of : Parliainßnfct?^'^^^ r The real question thenVragpea/s^o^-be|.thersam^Ks" that wlncff arisba in. eVeiy.^aie^h%re,"lin;ag^ntja^;ia^ •perfdrnaed ah';a*c ; t' jntfie^nttlnejo^n^b'^lwlf-fof^hXs?^^^ cipal,' thefp rYncipal;afterwards"cd'nteiTds^th"atiKelis%ot > bound ther«b^.>Tlfafqaatiqa"is^ fol^n^-^B' aathorityl'under, whic)i- the; agea^actellf lawful, was the particular r ¥ct;Ja' v questira^iJiiu^ie!' scbpe/p'f "tH'-itauthority^VV^ai it an\ct^exp^rjrssly^!t|§|rj fzedjVor- -was it impriedtaml^myoivecf* in^somejitHer act r vvhicl3ilwa3 elcpres"slysauthori'zed^?*|^ -.; lu.tUis view of,the"caseKthe groun^d;of|Del^.ul^rJbrt| "which the^Defendants ;4'e'ctiy|!ly.aUegedj''andynde i ed."Vi^h"e v^ Sakenrstnctly) even to rkUe~aa^irrel^aat;^que^tipn#^ J3ut~oa tliLf i^ap;npt Jnsist % i't6x'^m sllchja^"case,.li||'crty: ,1» atnia d,- wo ald of course,be7gi yjßn.™^lfFegard|;tfie^de^ ,ni d trrer^as }i&\ ag^sq toTraise^bbthC'qSlijionss ! aod proceed to, cbnsider/th^reap^questiqa ,;befdfestfi^ '|b%t;u^o"ua^nimts^\™^^ 7;'The;pefendauts^Ken;adm]tftha%^ Stated iti^ t thV de^lkratiGnfas^grounils of^bbjectiqnit^'the' 'grant, are>Ju7iToTntM'f&ct^triU^ | that, upon thft'gro7nd,of coijfofmity to^heStatutefJthjS; frant:caanot be^sSataiuT'f j" bjit^tliey'sayitha^i^isltqlb'e] i sajteulaedra^;Vi a^P e Q4^ nt W t ' a^^° a^%^^y^^ JitatuteV;- --i>j'- _-{"„ ::-l*i^lXjf~~^~* r f :i^£^ is,said'thaf the^whole^ct Kas"npibearingTupon f the^ |We:; ,thafdt is;foh:|h|:face of itijan s A~c|:fo£regulating2 Sales'and'Sales 6nly:%thatatajdJ)J's s fnoffprdfe^s^§£efl 'gulate,ExcK'anffes>M I fie" l A^t'itli?~saidf-..de¥cri'btsJi^l^ as; -"-An Act ~^But x Tthe ]^ition\tffiis.^ Weratiol^df^sia€iite"iCt^6Vmjeatu^ •oftheititl^thereofr^isclea^la^eta^leWßfff^^ lSig*se^]tblftlieit4t|^fWJlQg|p^ noTpaft of t&eadfc itself j^dfthatlt^iw?*befallo^ed^ •to. limit 6r/cpntrbl,th&]^ t)peratL^par tjof ft«ScT.^Nb^tfetwpfdlof#eirop^ rative;partbntbisrHt^i !U Ki"Ac^l£e^6Ms^%th'f %&m and subs^tial^act&^'aTcCs^'plamf^uallil' "were'rib^easyrmatter^Brid^yithWsh^uld^ lit isjen'acted,(iri sec^rO-^HhatswthintthWAustralian 5 Tjoiedf of, in 'the^mannef and accprdjng.tatKe'regiilati^s; n^einafter r prescribVdlndJaot o^cru>wc^Andv(in s'e'c^ *£)I£< ,ThaVthp:,Walt|;^^^ traUanXCplonies^tfaU.nofiiiav^as hereinafte l rjis"«ce^tx/ |df(^mc¥excepti(ftfis^nojpart*"bfit^ - unj^er^cqnsideratidn) bb/c^ej/ie^^alim^d^Sy^Ler. MajfeSy'oFanypersori'brrpeHbnsiietragfonJthe^^^ qrVnderth6'aatKo*rity:of/HerfMaX«^

sunple or for any less Qstnti^wAntefestfunlmsudk'con-*: such sales be c6ridiicfedin^the?r)ianji'er"dttd cfccording'to ! 'tAeregulation3-yieriinafln'ros^ib^d?^-Torme'ttvese\ .words appear plain enough to preclude, all * doubt as to the intention bfJl.e;Legislatnre.:~-Tbe cons'tructibn.dfo^hich it^ ,thatthc large "and genel^ar%'ords"em^loycd>b^%the* Ler_ gislature really mean ,npthing^mqreithan~inC;" special! and limited wpfd '5 Sale}'.' is capatfleirf being easily dis- 1 posed by a simple 'substitution of this one word for the ifer ms:actually.u"sCdf : -Make *Jhe ; substitution , 2 and the enactments beconuTat once idlfe and unmeaning. 'l_thihk t he^e,arnefl,Attornev*Generarg'ave"a i gbod answerjo'this point, _ in ; saying that= .thefe^fo&ld^bj^mf thing,;in! the Defendant's argument it thSword|*Uia.d;stboditl{us "In all casesrbf sale the modelof "p^fdceedingrshall^b'e according to tjie.regulationyjiereinaftQr^preicribed''-n i .Words pf : thaksprt .would liave^shbwh" a;clc?r4ntention not to prescVib'e for bther.modcs.of^JienKtioriV^ M>£^r '.Further if the Defendants construction could _be A maintained and the whole.case 7 taken "but of the opefa-* tTqn oF the Statute, it would be still riecessa'iyVtot show, thatjthe power of granting crown lands bj_ way-of ci.-". change" was previously. vested- in theYGbvernor, "as"a 'part of l\i& general authority: „No\v-it as'rremarkable, that it* lias not" been .contended that s'ueh -was the case.; 4jid- indeed, considering" theipas§age"sfcitedat"the arguY Sneht fronithe J«, Charter^ a&d-the^. Royallnstriictipnl" if js'noteasy to see^liSw thiaf position could 'bfh main-, taufetl; % T- „- 1 '"" ' £-* . "" »' "- .-.--'' J '" -"* '"" ~'l -"- \r"> iT^YKatever be the effect of upon /.the. QuVnJs Prerdgative^wheth'er|he.words*be s.ufhcient-to i bin d ithe crdwn^or, not,l tappers^ulSfff t ; h'at ,tHey^are 1 suffi«eliit v to. b'm^any'ofn^ tip iipersohracting'bnithfsh'ehaltof unaefSfie^autlidfiW. "the^Crp wn.unless Juch > : .the^siatute'.t "1 1 is^ot'ne&ls^y^ojpulfsu"e;lthe^iuqyiry into, the Vubs^.qaen^sections^fetfi%acl^ a'(lmitted"that;theje^ulatjqn^lfer^ij^ yiidtjri thilihstance been ; compHe^^ilhVJ^l^^l^rA 1 *^~ It is also unecessaryto cpnsid^lt|^effS:^if^bhe^3rdr section,~whic|j;excepts cerfein3a^hd^o^ut^pflj^eSb^el«i|; tionioflth'e 'Act', for;-th{wilpK^defwidantilKve"pVi;fre7 fecord,"claiipedthe : benefat^^this r 6xcepUp)i^ also v was waived at the argument.;/ ;,^ ."— > f^ |?> -';| -_ tl ßjit- still further, if we Jpokj; beyond^ the -W£rd£ p*f/t}iis_-Ajdt£^^^ J;he;Whole loVAt^ the, casetxapjea4jtolme,to + be' v equallyj .^rb'n'g a"galn¥tjkl^ as^inxonstcumg;all4bther^Acts;i\vefare bound tofregardr jespecially^andjprimarilyrstherobjectcoflthelliegislature, r chief, .against which provision^asiherebyrtDiadl^iS^ g^ThereJs ,one'6bjec^expr^sly^ayq^d?in'lthe^pYe"a.m^ ble^namelv> , to^secul'e^raifonnity/in^tli^ilpdsaj^of' thi^thX'natuYe^3f-,the v system 5 wJiichiiTwas the wUI-'of 'tlie^l/cgibrature^d^caase to;b'e uniformly pursued for the future, should be distinctly and clearly stated; . ' -. > . . The' regulations to belaiddo'wn, were totguide the. Governors of all the Australian tli'e Governors, but the m Cblohilts^Th"ere}waj.-to be one-=body-of*ri'uleS' to ; which Ss . J;fie«i M leT ot^'w^Vnel^sary 3 |tu%n^th^atlt|i < e^ rules should- be' laid! dowffiinjplaia^oKls^aCdlthos^ words bes-taken^in^heir^plaiaJsease.^Any^ieviation? rqm that-obyiqus^s^Dse, jinless^orcepsupo_nj|he4Jou i ct. >)y,^he r n^^isity7pf^iYing^^fiepS^3i^^ tne*tP|hcr . 7 partsrOrrth@A^'(andJ^^l ufc h s^c^ssjty alppears) J f'woul3^be^'ia^fiiB^clSe'peSulitrly daagerous;-" twoiila tend^tojrerproduce^the^verfemischxerfAgamst -&MorebYer,,it'is;ipnip'ossible'Jdread-ahdi I consider;tliis" Act wjithonJi.seejng-thaJitheceis/anqther.princimeiWhich, has D^ea|gfeatly?rega?decl Bys't?>frorerKo™s^pnn s '' tlw.exclusion^o^ fub'je^inlCfdrJtheyutjirejjdfel^^ie^d^^ injthe' Colony to /a al^rigKt'f .in^thj" "pfo{)lesp'fYh"e2(^ldoy.^This^p^incip^ part : of l the l Ac't-^tße* niaiu*en£ctment* il|elf-spi'd'(fn^np' dlss^degree) {the^exception^ ou^of-^lia^'e'nact^en.t^ 4 A\cordinrg'to4heg§%eral'yiHeYT v »^^ utely e^cluldeJl^i^ptHe>s^lJojved V^yet !n^t r uDtil thj^aßd^tb^bes^^pr|^liiC-t]p^ jfcract has'b'een.bfferedw folv r s'alefby^ublic"?Ad'cti6ni*TS6 l niitne, exception ij- pu bl icj.benent|alpQe,'isjregarded i^tbe prlncfpleof ngh"t^n;evj^ inj^he "pne^se, Jit|is^a. e^fial/ng^ ple^s'esj'and^accdtdingittfthejnat'u^^ enjoyed Vlln^the/pthe^cA^Jit^isii^^q^ apprdpriate\the "enjoy meritS>/' r*""{v-?i'?"i' -'l-J %>lf tßeaV.this Act were "stiU-leaving. 'ranthd rjjy bMhe^'Gdye^or ,of| the^ Colony",- io*Slienate w VVaste^-Landsof 'thekCro wff ibfeway' of^excjiange, . and withojtfpubljc*cpmpetitionj!|this. tlwt* v ah'ciMt^nd\sbundriile:^whlclV'declalf^ r '£!the"diity,ofjthejJudgeg^at aUjiimej/tp'imaKeisuchrconiS slvacSoa'as^sniaiL'suppi^Vtl^misca'ief^nd^dvSbce'the"' /"Jt appears thenjlthat jthe^ffectrof^thisfstatut^isltb', ?e'nder- a graiit'of Cro wtfl^ffds^sucl^ffittH^'iejno wf iff 1 ; "quTsYibn^milawful a^W^ oKthe Q ueen's prerpgativeimayjsustainasuch^ar grant? orsny btheiygrant orlauds-withitfthisJLblonyVTnptwith-standlng;this;statute^Ho%fa^«ie|aecilioi|^^ iMifjted.bn^y;Mr/^hi^kerr;4migh^ case P^TKese -are *qifestibli^^ich|Ho^nbttanse|liere«. Whitaker^as^o^ertain , CrownjGrants^ssue.diimpursu;,, Wee J 6TFvinstrlictidns-'contai2^inWde^Stcu^ rntthttGroTs e r»f«irGfl 2 WeSfi^taiM»^^ nfistdnetwhic&l-'caiTndt'pTOpCTly^nter^itf^^^ think it^rightito:_saypthat*l|doJnoJcopcurSntn^the:i learned^ C^nsjeJ^inp'c^on«denng^feosejgranjts^^stand* "o^.ttie" sa'me,f6oling aSthe'bn^now^rfi^Veltioh.^r! l^^ i¥Upon the whole, after giving n most serious consideration tb.this matter, and^esinngttolact-iiFthe^ipintfof ,our;EnghshLaw,'wmch^seek^always»to£qmetfmensV titlesTfratherJthanrtoTshaketthem^rather^tohealHKin' tolwouud ; and, t hat " stdl^ more especialiy-incases*like t th«Tpresent^w;here thetgood^faithsofitjretpartaes^isgnot KrantTwas.maae"in~a»manner-contraf3Sto,bothjtheletter ? j a^d^pl&^S^irm^rialjA^^|,ja^b§§^o f nf adefCitis' iricumbe'nt bif'this'Court^tp "pr9erithe|same; i^l^have^tUe/saliisfactionJof'-kno'wihlrlthat'my^earded'